1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dispensing containers, and more particularly, to such containers which dispense tablets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many containers incorporate a mechanism for dispensing their contents. Included among this group of containers are spray, pump and squeeze bottles, aerosol containers, and even some cigarette packs. In addition, several known dispensing containers are specifically directed to dispensing tablets. The term "tablets" as used herein includes pills, capsules, tablets, pellets and other relatively small objects, whether they be for medicinal or other purposes.
One example of a tablet dispensing container is disclosed in European Patent Application Number 345,413 which published on Dec. 13, 1989. This tablet dispensing container incorporates a housing and a reciprocating element. The reciprocating element extends through the housing. Upon pressing the reciprocating element at the top end, the bottom end of the reciprocating element which includes a tablet accommodating means passes through a dispensing opening in the housing with a tablet thereby dispensing the tablet.
Like many existing tablet dispensing containers, those described above have a tendency to permit tablets to be inadvertently dispensed. Also, the ease of dispensing that these containers offer creates another problem. Children of a particular age group are drawn to, and intrigued by the operation of such containers. More importantly, these same children have a tendency to place the dispensed contents into their mouths. This can be disastrous where medications or other potentially poisonous items are concerned. Thus, it is desirable to at least hinder a child's ability to obtain the container's contents, even if the container is not completely "child-proof". The additional time needed by the child to dispense the container's contents may be all that is needed to avoid a tragedy.
Several tablet dispensers include a "child-proof" mechanism. This "child-proof" mechanism prevents operation of the dispensing mechanism until it has been defeated. Each time a tablet is dispensed this extra mechanism must be defeated immediately prior to operating the dispensing mechanism. If the mechanism is not defeated prior to dispensing, then a pill cannot be dispensed from the container. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,023 issued on Aug. 13, 1988 to Hackman et al. discloses such a "child-proof" mechanism. The mechanism is biased to prevent operation of the dispensing mechanism. Thus, each time a tablet is dispensed this mechanism must be operated to permit operation of the tablet dispensing mechanism.
One problem with the aforementioned tablet dispensers is that the "child-proof" mechanism must be operated each and every time a tablet is dispensed. In many instances this creates an unnecessary hurdle which must be overcome before a user can obtain a tablet. For example, inadvertent dispensing is most likely to occur under a particular set of circumstances. For example, it is highly unlikely that accidental dispensing will occur if the container is resting alone on a shelf. On the other hand, it is quite likely that accidental dispensing will occur if the container is stored in a purse.
Furthermore, some households have children of an age where accidental ingestion is a major concern while the vast majority of households do not have children in this age group. Almost all of us have had difficulty operating "child-proof" containers; often times when there is virtually no likelihood that a child could be endangered. Moreover, it may be desirable to dispense several tablets consecutively, and the mechanism unnecessarily hinders this operation. Consequently, it is desirable to have a dispensing container which includes a locking mechanism which could be either activated or left inactivated depending upon the desires and circumstances of the user.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tablet dispenser with a locking mechanism which remains in either the locked or unlocked position until manually moved to the other position;
It is additionally an object of the present invention to provide such a tablet dispenser locking mechanism whose operation is self-evident to adults;
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a tablet dispenser locking mechanism that is easily operated by adults, including the elderly;
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a tablet dispenser locking mechanism that provides a tactile and/or audible indication when a particular status is reached;
It is additionally an object of the present invention to provide such a tablet dispenser locking mechanism that provides an indication which readily identifies its status as locked or unlocked;
It is lastly an object of the present invention to provide such a tablet dispensing container which accomplishes the aforementioned objectives at minimal costs.